A “computer system network” can refer to a network located within a firewall of an organization or corporation (e.g., an “Intranet”), as well as to the familiar World Wide Web (“Web”) or Internet. In general, computer system networks include numerous server computer systems and client computer systems with attendant equipment such as routers and switches for properly directing traffic (e.g., data, queries, search items, etc.) to their proper destinations.
Computer system networks provide a relatively efficient mechanism for communicating and transferring information between users, regardless of the distance between them. Information residing on one user's computer system can be transferred to another user's computer system, typically by electronic mail (e-mail) over the network. In addition, users can access data and information residing on a central server, such as Web pages, Web sites, databases, and word processing files.
Commonly, a document such as a specification is authored by one user, then provided to other users for review and comment. Typically, the author uses some type of word processing application to generate a draft version for review. A paper copy of the draft can be printed and circulated among the reviewers; however, it is generally more efficient to distribute an electronic version (e.g., a word processing file) of the document to reviewers, usually by e-mail. Alternatively, the reviewer can store the word processing file in a shared memory location on a networked computer system, which reviewers can then access via the computer system network.
In the prior art, problems occur when multiple users attempt to edit an electronic document. The word processing application used by the author is platform-dependent, and therefore reviewers need to use either the same word processing application or a compatible one in order to open and view the document. Typically, word processing applications only work on certain types of operating systems. For example, a Microsoft Word type of application is Windows-based, and will not work on a Unix-based system. Consequently, not all users may be able to open the draft document in order to perform a review, if they are using a word processing application for a different operating system than that of the author.
Even when reviewers are able to open the document, there will still be many cases in which aspects of the electronic document are not accurately transferred from one user to another. For example, the author may have used special formatting and fonts in the document, which are often lost when the document is opened on a different computer system or using a compatible, but different, word processing application. Similarly, reviewers using the same word processing application as the author may be using a different version, and although the versions may be compatible, the document may not transfer accurately from one version to another. In addition, reviewers may each configure their word processing applications with different editing and display options, and this too can affect the way that the draft is received and displayed.
Another problem in the prior art is associated with the distribution of the electronic document to each of the reviewers, in particular when the document is large. Transferring large documents by e-mail may be inefficient. For users trying to receive a large document over a modem connection, the download time may be prohibitive. Moreover, the electronic transfer of data by e-mail may introduce errors into the draft document, or data may be lost in transit.
Instead of e-mail, word processing files can be electronically stored at a central site (e.g., a server) on the computer system network. Documents can be accessed on the server by their file name, or they may be hyperlinked to a Web site or Web page. Nevertheless, the files still need to be downloaded and, for large documents, this can take a great deal of time.
Another problem in the prior art occurs when users wish to edit Web-based information, such as a Web page. For example, a user may wish to add comments to a Web page before forwarding it to another user. In the prior art, the Web page cannot be edited. Instead, the user has to copy the text portion of the Web page and paste it into a word processing application. However, this cannot be done without encountering problems similar to those described above (e.g., loss of formatting). Moreover, formatting problems and the like are typically exacerbated when working with Web pages, because documents in one format (e.g., HyperText Markup Language) are being copied to a different (e.g., word processing) format.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method and/or system that can be used on different platforms to view and edit electronic documents, including Web pages. The present invention provides a novel solution to the above needs.